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Batt Takes a Swing

Ouch.  Former Republican Governor Phil Batt takes a swing at Idaho House Speaker Lawerence Denney (R-Midvale) in a Reader's View in the Idaho Statesman today.  Seems he, like many Idahoans, isn't pleased with the way Speaker Denney has been wielding the "Hammer" in political retribution on his opponents. 

Now in the Idaho House of Representatives, the fate of legislative proposals seems to be gauged by the level of support given to the speaker in his contest for the job. It has even come to the point that no legislator or lobbyist can expect his bills to have a fair chance if he supported the loser in the speaker's race.

This is outrageous. The people of Idaho are entitled to have their representatives base their votes on the merits of a bill, not on who backed the loser in a speaker's contest.

What effect will the well-respected former governor's chastisement have on the Speaker?  And what effect will it have on this apparent rift between factions of the Republican party that control all branches of Idaho government?  Hopefully it will lead to better governance for the people.  Stay tuned.

Read more:

Update 03.28.07 10:03:  John Foster at Idaho Business Review has an interesting angle on this story.  Is this a political "gunfight" of sorts?

Update 03.29.07 07:29:  Randy Stapilus at Ridenbaugh Press says about the statement from the former governor:

A statement like that coming from some places around Idaho would be ordinary. Coming from Batt, it is stunning. And from someone of his history and credibility in the party, a significant blast.  [...]

Anyone who’s known Batt over the haul knows that he speaks very much for himself, and no one else; his agenda is his own.

an opinion which seems to square with other perceptions of the former governor.

March 28, 2007 at 08:02 AM in Idaho Legislature |

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  • "I said yesterday we hope and pray things will get better before they get worse. It's obvious to me some of you need to do a better job of praying." — Sen. Dean Cameron (R-Rupert), Joint Finance-Appropriation Committee co-chair on the grim economic forecast facing the committee.
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